How To Eat Healthy On A Budget

Buying groceries on a budget is a big challenge for me. After our mortgage, food is the biggest expense in my budget. We average about $1,100 on supermarket purchases per month for a family of four and two dogs. I think it’s too much! That’s why its crucial for me to find ways to eat healthy on a budget.

The following six budget-friendly tips will help you make healthy meals at home while keeping your spending in check.

This post was written in collaboration with nutritionist Cristina Solis.

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How To Eat Healthy On A Budget

1. Buy Seasonal Produce

Buying seasonal produce has many benefits.

It helps you save money because seasonal fruits and vegetables are cheaper. Also, enables you to eat healthier because the products are fresher.

Buying local produce also helps the environment because helps reduce transportation greenhouse gas emissions.

On top of that, if you shop at farmers’ markets, you will be supporting the local economy and small business owners.

And probably, the most important reason to buy seasonal produce has everything to do with mother nature.

Each seasonal food contains the nourishment that our bodies need to enjoy optimal health.

For instance, to reinforce our immune system in the winter, we need an extra boost of vitamin C.

It is no coincidence that mother nature allows for more oranges, mandarines, cauliflowers, and kiwis to be harvested during this season.

The same is true for the summer months when we need to say well hydrated.

Fruits high in water like watermelon, melon, and pears are easy to find, cheaper, and sweeter during the summer months than at any other time of the year.

Eat Healthy On A Budget By Buying Seasonal Produce

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has compiled the following list of seasonal produce. I have also created this free printable for you to download.

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Year-Round Freshness

The following are fruits and vegetables that are in season pretty much year-round.

2. Have A Shopping And Meal Plan

Not having a good system to plan my meals and grocery budget has been my weakness for many years.

As a result, I waste a lot of time going to the grocery store several times per week.

Even worse, I fill up the pantry with random ingredients that don’t go together to make a decent meal!

It was hard for me to realize that I had this problem because I always went to the store with a shopping list.

I thought the list was my meal plan.

Turns out, making a list of things you need to buy is very different from having a meal plan that will feed your family every week.

So, I came up with the grandiose idea of creating a workbook that can help me set a weekly grocery budget and meal plan.

I call it my Smart Grocery Shopping and Meal Planner.

I will be posting videos on Instagram to let you know how I am using this system to save money and time purchasing groceries.

3. Order Your Groceries Online

I have been saying that I will start buying my groceries online for a while now.

I actually tried it once but didn’t have a pleasant experience.

The problem was not placing the order. My nightmare started when I went to pick it up.

It was one of those busy fall weekends when your kids have multiple games going on, and you have not time to shop.

So, I decided that ordering online was a great way to save time and get it done.

I had a small window of opportunity to pick up my order and headed to the store as soon as I got the alert that it was ready.

But I waited and waited, and my order never showed up.

I would see the supermarket employees load other cars with groceries, but not mine.

Finally, out of patience, I found an employee who finally broke the news to me.

They gave my order to somebody else!

How can that happen!

They have your name, and the color and make of your car.

What are the odds that somebody else with my same last name, driving the same car that I was driving, would show up before me and take the wrong order home?

It was so frustrating!

So, I had to go into the store to get a refund and to actually get my groceries.

In retrospect, I think that was bad karma on my side.

I remember hesitating while placing the order, thinking, what if they mess it up?

So, I am sure that I attracted that result.

But having gotten over it, I need to give online grocery shopping a try again.

Not going into the store and just swinging by to pick up will save me a lot of money and time.

You know it, the more time that you spend inside a supermarket, the more money you spend!

4. Consider Going Meatless For A Day

Did you know that there is such a thing as meatless Monday?

It is an international campaign that encourages people not to eat meat, chicken, or fish once a week, usually on Mondays.

Meatless Mondays can be a good way to eat healthy on a budget since the meat, poultry, and fish are usually the most expensive ingredients in our meals.

Honestly, I don’t think I can pull off a meatless day very often at my home.

I could survive my entire life eating quesadillas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but my husband and kids love hearty meals!

Besides, cheese and tortillas are not the healthiest combinations either.

If you want to give meatless Mondays a try, you can substitute meats with high-protein grains.

Instead of meat, you can use beans, peas, chickpeas, or lentils, which are highly nutritious and affordable.

Red meats are higher in saturated fat than poultry or chicken, and according to nutritionist Cristina Solis, saturated and trans fats can elevate your cholesterol levels, which could, in turn, hurt your heart’s health.

5. Prepare Home-Made Meals

I don’t think we need to make a case for home-made meals, but just in case, let me mention a few of the advantages of eating at home.

Home-made meals are cheaper to make than going to restaurants.

Cooking at home is also healthier because you can limit the use of ingredients such as salt, fat, and sugar.

Eating home-made meals is also better because you can control the cleanliness of the environment and the food you are preparing.

And finally, home-made meals are right for you because you can plan budget-friendly menus.

If you want to make your life easier preparing your meals at home, I recommend that you create a plan for every week.

Usually, we cook three to four generous meals per week and eat lots of leftovers.

If you are a working mom who has no desire to spend time in the kitchen, like me, making a few generous meals to eat throughout the week might be the best way to go.

6. Make Better Decisions At Work

If you really want to eat healthy on a budget, then you really need to pack your lunch every day of the week.

I have done this for sixteen years, and I credit my ability to maintain a healthier lifestyle to this single habit.

Every morning I pack four lunch bags, one for my husband, one for each of my kids, and the one for myself.

Too many people are used to buying fast food for lunch every day of the week, spending tons of money, and consuming too many calories.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy an occasional meal at my favorite fast-food or Mexican restaurant.

What I am asking is that you don’t make eating out for lunch your daily habit.

It’s not healthy, and it gets expensive!

Eventually, eating out will bust your budget and your belt.

Instead, get you a nice grown-up lunch bag and pack your meals and snacks at home.

In Conclusion: How To Eat Healthy On A Budget

These are six great recommendations to eat healthy without spending a fortune:

• Get into the habit of buying seasonal produce, it is tastier and contains the nutrients that your body needs.
• Make a smart meal and grocery shopping plan, instead of heading to the store with a shopping list.
• Order your groceries online and avoid going into the store, this little change can save you a lot of money and time.
• Consider going meatless for a day.
• Make a few generous home-made meals and eat leftovers throughout the week.
• And finally, pack your lunch at home to avoid spending your work break at restaurants.

Do you have any other recommendations to share with us?

I would love for you to share them in the comments section at the bottom of this post.

Related Articles To Eating Healthy On A Budget:

• What Percentage Of Your Income Should Go To What
• 7 Tips To Improve Your Financial Wellness
• The Budget Pad: Organize your Income, Track Expenses & Save Money
• How to Save Money and Stop Living Paycheck-to-Paycheck

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How To Eat Healthy On A Budget